Folding top for vehicles



, May 10, 1927.

J. H. TEACHOUT FOLDING TOP FOR VEHICLES Liven 07 WW W ant 1 Filed April 14. 1921 May 10 192.7.

J. H. TEACHOUT FOLDING TOP FOR VEHICLES Filed April 14. 1921 3 Shuts-Sheet tif ,Iwlv 611 601. WWW MM I I 1,627,716 y J. I-LTEACHQUT FOLDING To? FOR VEHICLES Filed April 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 M W ZZZwMM/W Patented May 1o,1-921. I

UNITED STATES JOHN HOWARD TBACHOUT OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASBIGNOR TO THE WHITE IOTOB comm, OF GLEVEIaAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

FOLDING TOP FOB VEHICLES.

Application fled April 14, 1921. Serial 1104013101 It is customary to. equip large passenger busses which are used for sight seeing purposes, with permanently fixed tops. But in many sections of the country, particularly in mountainous districts where such bussesare used, it is desirable that, when the weather permits, there shall be no top canopy to prevent the passenger from looking A ll) upwaid at things worth seeing.

The present invention is a folding top for -such busses; the object being to provide a folding top and operating mechanism therefor which will enable the driver alone to quickly spread the top when occasion for its protection arises,,and to quickly fold it up when it is desired to have it in that condition.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts shownin the drawings and hereinafter described as briefly defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a bus equipped with the present invention,.the top being unfolded or spread for the protection of the passengers; Fig. 2 is a similar view when the top is folded back out of the way; Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section of the top in the plane of line 33 on Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section in the plane of line 44 on Fig. 2, Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the front end of the top pocket in the plane of line 5-5 on Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the rear part of the top when the folding part thereof is folded back, as shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical section of one side of the top near one of the movable cross bows.

The body 10 is provided with a fixed skeleton top comprising uprights 12 fixed to the body along the sides thereof, two parallel longitudinal bars 14 secured to these uprights; a permanent front top portion 15, and a permanent rear top portion 16. The permanent front to portion includes a transversely extende bow 17 fixed to the two bars 14, and fitted within and secured to the rear end of the canopy of the front top portion. The permanent rear top portion 16 includes a transverse how 18 which is fitted within and secured to the front end of the canopy of the rear top portion, and also to the bars 14. These two bows 17 and 18 help to hold the two bars 14 in the spaced parallel position inwhich they should be. Other bowed cross braces 20 and fixed cross braces 15 are also extended between and fixed to PATENT OFFICE. r y

front and rear portions of the top, the func- .tions of these cross braces being to help to hold the bars 14 in parallel relation. The space between the fixed front and rear top portions 15 and 16 may be closed by the folding portion of the top, which folding portion consists of a plurality of cross bows 20 and .a canopy 21 which may be made of suitable flexible material such as the waterproof cloth commonly employed for automobile tops. The rear end of this canopy is preferably fixed permanently with the rear fixed frame portion.

The ends of the cross bows 20 are supported upon the bars 14 andhave a guided sliding engagement with rails 22 which are fixed upon the bars 14. There are two rails 22 fixed to each bar 14, each rail being in the form of a channel bar; and the two channel bars are spaced apart and arranged back to back. The open or grooved sides of the two channel bars are therefore exposed as shown, and there is a space between the closed backs thereof for the accommodation of the sprocket chain 25.

Each how. 20 is provided with two plates 23 at each end, said plates being extended below the bow ends and being secured one to the inner and one to the outer face of the bow whereby the lower end of said plates will lie on opposite sides of the two rails 22.

The lower end of each of these plates is .z:

provided with a wide foot 23, on theinneiside of which two rollers 24 are rotatablv mounted, said rollers being loosely fitted. within the groove of the adjacent rail or channel bar 22. Each bow is therefore mounted to travel forward or backward on the rails 22 and is so guided that the two ends of said bow will move equally.

A transverse shaft 35 is mounted beneath Beneath the rear fixed part of the top a shaft 43 is mounted and on it are secured two sprockets 44, these being in alignment I respectively with the two sprockets 36. 'A

' the bar 14 between the two rails 22. The

bow and passes through all of the other bows and is fixed to them all.

If the top is spread as shown in Fig. 1, and it is desired to fold it back, the operator by manipulation of the adjacent crank will drive shaft 35 and thereby the sprocket chain will be caused to. travel, so that the upper run of each will move rearward. This will draw the front bow rearward into engagement with the next bow, which will then be ushed rearward against the next how, an so on, whereby all of the bows will be moved rearward into the position shown in Fig. 2, the canopy attached to said bows folding up accordian-wise between the bows. All that needs to be done when the top. is to be again spread is for the operator to turn his handle in the opposite direction, the front bow is then drawn forward, and the spacing cables 47 as they are stretched will successively pick up the other bows 20 and move them forward until the movable parts come to the position shown on Fig. 1.

The front fixed top is provided with a rearwardly extended flange 13 into which the front how 20 will telescope coming to the position shown in Fig. 5. A latch 50 of any suitable construction may be rovided for connecting the front movable how 20 with the fixed front how 17. This latch may be pivoted to the how 17 and may engage a hook 51 on the bow 20. Similar latches 52 may be pivoted to the side bars 14 for engagement with hooks 52 carried by the bows 20 near their lower ends. By means of these latches the front how will be securely fixed in position such as will prevent any accidental folding up of the movabletop. If desired, each of the movable bows 20 ma be provided with hooks for engagement by clamps carried by the bars 14. 1

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A folding top for vehicles, comprising, in combination, a skeleton frame having twoside bars, guide rails fixed to said bars, a plurality of top bows which are mounted to slide along said track rails, a flexible canopy secured to said bows, a pair of endless sprocket chains, the upper runs of which pass through holes in said bows, means connecting thefront' bow to said sprocket chains, sprocket wheels mounted in the top frame adjacent the rear end thereof, other sprocket wheels mounted on the top frame adjacent the front end thereof, the two sprocket chains being trained over said sprocket wheels and the two wheels being supported directly over the side bars so that the chains are positioned along the tops of the bars centrally thereof, means by which to simultaneously turn the front sprocket wheels, and means apart from said canopy to stop each of said bows durin its forward movement when it has reache its allotted position.

2. A folding top for vehicles, comprising, in combination, a skeleton frame having two side bars, a fixed front top portion, a fixed rear top portion, rails secured to said side bars, bows, wheels mounted on their ends adapted to ride on said rails, a flexible canopy secured to the bows, and to the fixed rear to portion, sprocket wheels mounted in the xed rear top portion, other sprocket wheels mounted in the front top portion, sprocket chains trained over said sprocket wheels and extending directly above the bars centrally thereof, said bows having holes through them through which the upper runs of said sprocket chains pass, means connecting the front bow with the up er runs of said sprocket chains, and fiexi le devices connecting said bows together in series.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOHN HOWARD TEACHOUT. 

